Time's Apprentice
by StrangeChildSometimes
Summary: What if Danny's life had taken a different turn? What if he died inside the ghost portal and became a full ghost. What if instead of having ice powers he had time powers? What if he became Clockwork's apprentice. What if he returned to Amity Park with two years to say goodbye. (AU alternate universe)


**Disclaimer: Despite what my deluded dreams tell me I do not own Danny Phantom. If I did there would be a heck of a lot more drawn out exposition -_-**

 **Danny- Thank goodness you don't then**

 **Me- Why so mean T_T**

 **A/N- Hello ^_^ this is my first story so I hope you enjoy it. I have been thinking none stop about this concept so I finally decided to write it, yay. Plus, after doing my English exam today I feel like my grammar may actually be decent… I wonder how long that will last 0_0 Anyway just thought I would explain some things before we begin the way I'm writing this I aim to resemble a TV series meaning there will be an overarching plot but many of the chapter may be seen as standalone, think of gravity falls if you need an example. This is an AU (alternate universe) But it does contain many of the events from the series I do hope you enjoy and that my grammar doesn't scare you too much…. I tried to make it readable I pwomise :P So, let's being!**

Green it was all he could see, all around him, below him, everywhere. But that wasn't all. There were doors. Purple doors... they surrounded him.

Where was he? Come to think of it who was he? As the newly awakened ghost thought of his strange situation a flood of memories decided to (quite mercilessly) stampede into his brain.

"You have to go in there" A Onyx haired Gothic girl spoke, her voice bursting with excitement.

"I mean who know what wonders lay in a ghost zone!" She continued, becoming more enthusiastic by the minute.

"Sam my parents already tried the portal, it doesn't work!" An amused Danny replied.

"At least go take some pictures inside," The girl names Sam commanded playfully.

"So are you just going to go in like that? because there Is a suit right here." A boy in a red cap added pointing to the white and black suite laying on the chair next to him.

"Erm I think I'll be fine without it…."Danny decided as he noticed the giant picture of his dads face glued in the front of the costume,

"Whatever you say dude." The boy replied.

Cautiously Danny stepped into the portal making sure not to trip on any of the loose wires. _It's kind of spooky in here_ he noted as he walked further in.

"So what's it like in there" Sam shouted while peering into the disabled portal.

"Weird" was all Danny could say.

At that moment his hand brushed against something….

"A switch" Danny exclaimed!" As he did a swirling mass of energy blasted through the portal and Danny felt thousands of volts of agonising electricity violently rip him apart. It burned. It burned so much he didn't even imagined such pain could exist. Every part of his body he yearned for it to end but did not. It became worse and worse, as if molten needles stabbed every inch of him.

Is this what death felt like?  
 _I can't die_ he thought to himself _, I want to help them, keep them safe, I cant die, Why? Its not fair!..._ Suddenly Danny whole body locked up he felt like he was getting thrown around , finally his vision faded. He didn't feel the pain anymore. Was this mercy. No…This was worse.

"Danny NO" WAKE UP! WAKE UP" he heard his friends shout.

His vision faltered and the world seemed muffled as he slipped out of consciousness for the last time in his mortal life.

"I'm sorry."

The boy gasped as he tried to recover clearly shaken from the events which just occurred. He was Danny Fenton, son of Maddie and Jack Fenton, and had just died. The more he thought about it the more his whole being seemed to hurt, almost as if he could still feel the shocking agony and paramount pain coursing through his body. Then it really hit him,

"I'm dead!?"

"I'm dead? I'm really dead?" He questioned himself not quite believing the events that unfolded.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" He exclaimed what would his parents think, their child just died! And Sam! Would she blame herself, he hoped she wouldn't. After what seemed like hours of turmoil and panic the young ghost finally settled, and with a defeated sigh exclaimed,

"What am I going to do? I can't go back can I?"

I'm afraid not. Well not yet at least." An unknown voice spoke to him. The voice seemed calm, comforting but at the same time eerily omniscient.

"Who are you?" Danny questioned in a wary tone "What do you want"

That's when the owner of the strange voice finally appeared, he appeared to be another ghost judging by his ethereal appearance. We wore a violet cape which covered his hair and shrouded his face. His eyes where a deep crimson. Every so often the ghost would morph, one minute he resembled a child the next an adult and finally an elder before the cycle repeated. "I am known as Clockwork, and I am the master of time."

"T-Time oh… well I I'm… well was Danny Fenton…at least I think I was" Danny replied a little overwhelmed by the presence of this strange time ghost.  
"I know." Clockwork replied his voice held a hint of secrecy as his spoke Danny figured he knew a lot more than he ever said.

"Why am I here? Did I do something wrong? Wait am I even me! Or or" Danny failed to get his thoughts out. He had just remembered all the ghost lessons his parents rather forcefully gave. He could almost hear his mother's words,

"ghosts are nothing but an ectoplasmic manifestation of post human consciousness!"

Was he just a manifestation of the real Danny? The concept scared him. At that moment, he heard Clockwork reply to his fears It was becoming more and more apparent just how much knowledge this ghost held.

"Have no fear you are still you, so to speak. When you died your soul entered the ghost zone in its entirety, though you lack body your mind is your own. As for why you are here. I'm afraid it has to do with the particular circumstance surrounding your death. "

Danny shuddered as he was reminded of the pain he experienced He doubted he would ever forget such agony it seemed imprinted in his mind for eternity."

"But come let us speak more about this later I am sure you must be tired, you must rest while your core stabilises."  
Danny didn't know what exactly a core was but Clockwork was right he certainly was tired. Danny didn't know whether he could trust this strange ghost he certainly seemed powerful almost omniscient which certainly unnerved the young ghost yet it was also a fact that he helped Danny. That was the deciding factor and Danny soon began to float in the direction the morphing ghost gestured to.

Soon the two arrived by a large and quite foreboding tower. Clocks surrounded them as far as the eye could see and Danny could almost feel the rhythmic ticking of the whole building.

"Wow" Was he could say as they came closer and closer the whole tower seemed to become even more intimidating, if that was even possible. "You live here?" Danny asked inquisitively.

"Yes" replied the older ghost "yet soon I will not be alone."

"what do you mean?" Danny replied as he gave the ghost a curious glance"

"All in due time"

 _Great_ thought Danny as he began to scowl _, more waiting and even less answers._

Clockwork smirked as he saw the almost comically annoyed look on the young ghost face. _He seems to be taking this well all things considered_ he thought to himself.

The first thing Danny saw as inside the tower were you guessed it, even more clocks, and the constant ticking was actually rather unsettling to Danny. Next, he noticed the large mirror like object standing mysteriously in the centre of the room.

"What's that" He asked his eyes full of awe,

"That is a time mirror." Clockwork replied calmly "It allows one to see all that was, is, will be, and could be,"

"Cryptic much" Danny mused to himself as he mentally noted to investigate the strange object when the opportunity arose.

"Now then allow me to show you to your room" Clockwork continued as he flew upwards.  
"Oh right" Danny jolted as he realised he had become mesmerised by the mirror in the centre of the room…." Wait a minute, my room! Why do I have a room?" He inquired as he realised the suspiciousness of this ghost already being prepared for his arrival.  
"As I said all in due time Danny, however to answer your query, remember I am the master of time. I know all."

"Right," Danny mentally slapped himself _of course the ghost of time would my room prepared_ He thought then proceeded to laugh ever so slightly at his own paranoia.

As they entered his room Danny felt as if it had been prepared especially for him.

"weird" he proclaimed.

The room was quite large much larger than his previous dwelling but just as cosy in a strange ghostly sort of way. The ceiling had illustrations of the human world's night sky with numerous stars and galaxies. The details seemed so intricate it was almost as if he was looking at the real thing, it was certainly quite surreal. Next Danny noticed the bed it was large he reckoned it must have been king size at least. It was covered with silk pillows and covers, honestly it reminded him of the furniture in Sam's house.

"I didn't think ghosts needed sleep" Danny commented quite shocked.

"We don't, however recreational sleep can be relaxing pastime. You however will still require it at least for the next week or so, until your core stabilises fully.

Danny soon went back to the exploration of his new abode. He noticed that murals of rockets dotted the walls along with photos of parts of the ghost zone. And of course, the clocks.

 _of course there would be clocks Danny, it is a clock tower!_ the dead teenager chastised himself as he realised he couldn't escape their ticking not even here. "I wonder if you ever get used to it" He murmured under his breath.

"Eventually you will" Clockwork replied as he gave anther secretive smirk, Danny wondered what exactly the ghost was keeping from him.

The last detail of the room the young ghost noticed was the large drawer with an elaborately decorated mirror, everything here looked so… so antique? Expensive? Danny didn't know how to describe it but he knew it felt…well homely.

"I shall be in the viewing room should you need me" clockwork calmly proclaimed before sinking through the ground into the room below.

Danny quickly collapsed on the bed, he really was quite exhausted.

Danny woke up the next morning, (at least he thought it was morning. Despite the ghost zone not officially having a night cycle To Danny it certainly felt like morning about 9:23 to specific. Why he thought this he did not know ) He felt almost alive if that was even possible. As he did he floated to the mirror by his drawer in order to comb his hair. As he approached he received the shock of his afterlife.

"Is that…me!?"

"Does it surprise you" Clockwork appeared giving poor Danny even more of a shock.

"Er..that's one way of putting it!"

Clockwork couldn't help but laugh at the traumatised teen before him he looked so bewildered that he almost resembled a child.  
Staring back at Danny in the mirror was not the raven haired and baby blue eyed boy he remembered but a snow white haired ghost with toxic green eyes glaring back. The figure in the mirror wore a plain styled black shirt and with a white clock drawn in the centre, he had black trousers with the same colour boots. The noticed he was also sporting a rather long cloak which seemed to fade into nothingness at the bottom. Honestly it gave him a rather mysterious appearance. He was also very pale almost "like a ghost" Danny laughed at the thought. His entire being seemed rather ethereal and he was surrounded by a strong white glowing aura.

"As you may have noticed your ghost form while sharing some resemblance to your human form is not the same." Clockwork added stating the obviously obvious.

"Why is that Danny asked his curiosity overwhelming"

"Our appearances are a combination of our personality, obsessions, human appearances, and in some cases pure luck."

"Oh" Danny replied while thanking whatever ghostly gods were up there that he didn't end up with green skin.

"Now allow me to show you around the rest of the tower and then we will talk about why you are here."

Hearing Clockwork say those words made Danny slightly nervous. Why was he hear? He imitated the action of breathing out, covered his hair with his hood and followed Clockwork. Soon he would have the answers he both sought and feared.

 **Sorry for the cliff-hanger I would love to write more but I have a maths exam tomorrow and an hour of hyperventilating to do XD Pheew first chapter DONE! Am I glad! I tried to get the original script for the beginning part but I could find it :/ Although I did use the experience of lighting strike survivors to help describe apart Danny's death, can you guess which bit?. Have you guys ever seen lighting scars. Before today I didn't! They are actually quite beautiful. They look like tattoos of vines. Its actually kind of weird in an awesome way. OH Yeah do you like the cover picture. I spent a large majority of the evening drawing it haha I really can't draw guys T_T Anyway I would love to hear your thoughts so far? Good not good you tell me? Oh yes constrictive criticism is very much appreciated I'm always looking for ways to improve so any aid is very much appreciated!**

 **Danny-You killed me…**

 **Me-Yeaaaah sorry about that…**

 **Danny-No you're not.**

 **Me- What of course I**

 **Danny- Don't. I have seen all the fan-fictions you read all of them involve me being fully dead.**

 **Me- Hey take it as a compliment I only kill my favourite characters ^_^**

 **Danny- Psycho…**

 **Me- NO wait I didn't mean it like that I just meant that well I like tragedy and wait no don't go I'm sorry….. T_T**


End file.
